Day 2: Cough up Danish

For giving Pratten Park Golden Boy Michael J Clarke a “far cough” after having him stumped at the SCG yesterday, Danish Kaneria is coughing up.

After umpires Shep and Billy reported Danish’s far coughing to the referee, Madugalle imposed a fine of 100% of Kaneria’s match fee. And this after Danish had already committed, like his team-mates, 25% of his match fee to tsunami relief.

According to the ICC statement, Kaneria’s previous record was taken into consideration before the fine was imposed. This is Kaneria’s first offence at international level. Goodness knows what they would have done if he was a serial far cougher.

Meanwhile Ricky Ponting, 155 not out at stumps, has drawn level with David Boon’s world record for the most Test centuries by a Tasmanian, ie 21. He has already moved ahead of D.Clarence Boon on the fielding stats, with 100 catches to Boonie’s 99. It begs the question… just who is Tasmania’s greatest Test batsman of all time?